Revolving water-gage for closed vessels



(No Model.)

A. D. PUFFER.

REVOLVING WATER GAGE FOR GLOSED VESSELS. NO. 254,369. Patented Feb. 28,1882.

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ALVIN D. PUFFER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

REVOLVING WATER-GAGE FOR CLOSE D V ESSELS.

sPneIFIcA'rIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,369, dated February 28,1882.

Application filed March 21,1881. (No model.) I I To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVIN D. PUFFER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Gages. for Determining theHeight of a Liquidwithin a Closed Vessel; andI do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. p.

This invention consists of an apparatus whereby the height of liquids in closed vessels, as in bottling-cylinders, &c., may be determined at a moments notice by means of a valve communicated with the bore of aperforated or hollow revolving shaft,to which is affixed an open tube within'said vessel, and a crank with a marker is attached .to the exterior ofsaid shaft and always lies in axial alignment with said tube. By this means I do away with the ordinary glass gage, which is not only expensive butvery liable to breakage and leakage. As the marker is always in alignment with and on the same level as the open mouth of the hollow tube connecting with the perforated shaft and exterior valve, it follows that when the valve is open, supposing the vessel to be partially full'of liquid, if the shaft with the crank is turned on its bearings,

the marker and tube within revolve with it in the position in which they stood when the liquid commencedto flow. It is obvious that an imaginary horizontal line drawn across the end of the marker gives the exact height of the liquid as it stands in the vessel.

I will now proceed to describe more fully my invention and its manner of working.

The drawing accompanying this specification represents a vertical longitudinal cross-section through a bottllug-cylinder, so called,

at one end of which is attached the revolving gage. containing my invention.

In this drawing, A represents a portion of .the outside shell of a bottling-cylinder, and a, the tin lining with which such shell is usually provided.

B is the shaft of a revolving agitator, 0, provided with blades 7) b, arranged at an acute angle with the shaft. Attached to the hllbf', of the shaft is the hollow arched tube D. To??? tube conforms in shape and lies closely onfined to the arched outside edge, E, of the agitator. This agita or is almost equal in diameter to the interior diameter of the bottlingcylinder, and the tube D extends up to the straight portion of the edge E, which at that point is equal to the greatest diameter of the agitator.

At the base of the tube D, where it is attached to the outer surface of the hub c, l create a hole, H, of the same diameter as the tube. This hole or perforation extends into the hub in a line at right angles to the axis of the shaft. B. Its direction then takes a quarter-turn, and runs axially through the center of the bearingarm F of the shaftB till it reaches the point e,

a short distance from the extreme outer end of the bearing-arm, where it takes a second quarter-turn and emerges into the open air. At the point e, Icreate a shoulder, f, to admitthe screw-valve G, which is furnished at its inner end with a washer, h, which, when the valve is turned up, effectually closes the tube H.

The arm or hearing portion F of the shaft B is of somewhat greater diameter than the shaftproper of the agitator, and rests upon and fits closely into the plug I, through which it extends. The plug I is formed with a flat annular flange or lip, l, which hugs the lining a of the outer shell. Its outer end has aperipheral screw-thread turned upon it,which serves to engagethethreads turned upon the stay-nut L, the latter,when screwed up, forcing the annular flange 1 against the lining a, as before mentioned. The outer portion of the plug I has an enlarged bore, k, the inner portion of which contains a chamber for packing or other suitable material for maintaining a tight con nection between the shaft 13 and the plug I, while its outer portion has an internal peripherally screw-threaded interior, m, which receives the male screw-threaded nut O, for confining the packing above mentioned.

Between the outer extremity of the shaft F and the last-mentioned nut,O, I aiiix a crank, P, firmly by means of a set-screw, s, to said shaft. The crank has cast on it, as an integral portion thereof, a horn or marker, S, which projects so as to almost if not quite touch the head of the bottlingeylinder. The axial plane of this marker and crank must be in alignment with the plane of the outer edge, E, of the agitator and the curved pipe D. Moreover, the upper extremity or point of the marker or revolving gage must necessarily be on the same level as the open end of the pipe or tube D, in order to answer the purpose for which it isintended.

It is very often thecasc in bottling-cylimlers that all the charged water has been drawn on", but there still remains a considerable amount of gas,which it is deemed inexpedientto throw away in view of economy. Ordinarily it is a matter of guess-work, for the attendant starts the pump and allows it to operate. throwing in water till heimagines thereis a suflicientquantity in the cylinder. He may have added too much, in which case the water would not be sufficiently charged, and therefore useless, and also in filling closed vesselsit is alwaysa matter of doubt as to how full the vessel is unless a glass gage is attached thereto; butthese are expensive and liable to be broken. Now, assuming my revolving gage to be attached to the end ofa bottling-cylinder which it is desired to fill with a certain amount of liquid, the attendant turns the crank P, and with it the marker S, round till the point on the head of the bottling-cylinder is reached, to which level we desire to till said vessel. As the tube D and that portion of the agitator to which said tube is attached are intimately connected with the shaft F, to which the crank and marker are affixed, and in axial alignment with said crank and marker, it is obvious that the position of the end of the pointer S represents externally the internal position of the mouth of the tube D. The attendant then opens the valve Grand starts the hose or pump, which at once commences to fill the vessel. As soon as the level of the water reaches the mouth of the tube D it runs down through the perforated portion F of the agitator-shaft B and out into the air, thereby warning the attendant that the level for the exact amount of water required has been reached. The pump is at once stopped or the hose removed.

It is apparent from the above description that the operation of my device is simple and yet efficient, and, moreover-what is of the utmost importance-is cheap of construction.

I do not claim broadly a gage for ascertaining the height of a liquid within a closed vessel by means of an external pointer movable with an internal tube for the purpose of indicating the position of said tube; but

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The tube or pipe D, arched or curved, as stated, in combination with the agitator having a web or blade which supports said pipe.

2. In combination with a vessel or receptacle for liquids, an agitator-shaft having a tubular outward extension, and a tube which is carried by said shaft within said vessel and communicates with the bore of said tubular extension.

3. In combination with a vessel or receptacle for liquids, an agitator-shaft, a tube carried thereby and affording an outlet from said vessel, and a crank and indicator attached to an external prolongation or extension of said agitator-shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with a vessel or receptacle for liquids, a shaft provided with agitating devices for said liquid, and having a tubular outward extension which communicates at its inner end with the interior of said vessel and has an outlet-opening in its side near the other end, substantially as set forth.

5. The bottling-cylinder A and revolving agitator shaft B, with its enlarged portion F, perforated, as described, in combination with the tube D, valve G, and crank P, provided with a marker, S, having its end in proximity to the cylinder and on a level with the open end of tube D, these parts being constructed and arranged for joint operation, as herein shown and specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALVIN D. PUFFER. Witnesses:

H. E. LODGE, GEDRGE DUSTAN. 

